Arena Football Set For Return To Dallas

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Arena football is set to return to Dallas in April after a year's absence. The only difference will be the league, the owner, many of the players, and very possibly the team name.

The now-defunct Arena Football League was retooled after being forced to suspend operations for the 2009 season due to financial reasons; the league only resurfaced recently as Arena Football One. Dallas is one of 15 markets to land a team, though that team does not yet have a name; this is because of a legal morass brought on by the rights to the name "Desperados," the AFL-team's moniker.

Jerry Jones, of course, owned the team under the old management structure, while his son Jerry, Jr. served as president and general manager. Jones' son-in-law, Shy Anderson, was the Desperados' COO.

The new owner is Pilot Point-resident Peter "Woody" Kern, who previously owned the AFL's Tampa-St. Petersburg franchise, the Tampa Bay Storm. The hitherto unnamed Dallas team will be coached by Rich Ingold, a former Desperados offensive coordinator.

"We want to put on an exciting product," Kern said. "Kids like to go to [the games] and families like to go to it. Then we will put the hat on the players and coach [Rich] Ingold to win a few football games."